Electric motor-driven desk fan



June 24,1930. R FERGUSON 1,767,060

ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN DESK FAN Filed Oct. 4, 1928 mask/ INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY Patented 'June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES B. FERGUSON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIG NOR OF ONE-HALF TO W. H. ADDING- TON, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS ELECTRIC ,IOTOB-DRIVEN DESK FAN Application filed October 4, 1-928. Serial No. 310,358.

This invention relates to electric fans and it has particular reference to fans for desk and table use and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a fan 5 of this character wherein is provided mechanism so designed and arranged as to cause said fanto rotate on its base, to produce the maximum of air circulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide in fan rotating mechanism as set forth, a novel switch control bywhich the fan is caused to cease rotating, without affecting the action of the fan proper as concerns its speed.

The invention further comprehends the provision of mechanism calculated to bring about the results mentioned, which may be effectively applied as an attachment to the conventional oscillating or stationary ty e of fans with only minor alterations in t e structure thereof, which will enable said fans to make complete revolutions, to increase their effectiveness in bringing about maximum air circulation.

With these objects as fparamount, the invention has particular re erence to its salient features of construction and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter explained in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view of the invention. y Figure 2 is an elevational view having portions cut away to illustrate the gearing and wiring arrangements.

Figure?) is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the gear box from the underside, and v Figure 5 is an elevational view of the contact points.

It is obvious that the fan herein described may replace several of the ordinary fans due to 1ts increased usefulness, being capable of circulating the air in a complete circle serving an area which would require two or more fans of the ordinary type.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a base member 1 upon which is revolvably mounted a conventional housing 2 enclosing a motor 3 capable of driving a horizontal shaft 1, the latter being mounted in bearing 5 and 6 at either end. A fan '1 is rigidl attached to one end of the shaft 4 while a jacent the opposite end a worm 8 ismounted to enmesh a worm gear 9 attached to a hollow vertical shaft 10.

It is the object to transmit rotary motion to the fan motor while the base remains stationary, allowing the said fan motor to make complete cycles in its operation. To accomplish-this it is necessary that the fan be provided with sliding contacts, in order that the current from the source may enter the base. through the wires 11 and into the-starter switch 12 supported upon which is a con ventional type of coil 18 employed for this purpose.

It will be noted in Figure 3 that the motor housin 2 is pivoted at a; to the gear housing 14 having a tubular conduit 15 fixed thereto in such a manner that it will do end into the base 1 and rotate therewith. T e fan is adjustable in an arcuate manner and is held in adjusted positions by the wing nut 16 in a conventional and well known manner, however allowing the gear housing 14 torotate therewith, as well as the tubular conduit 15 connected to said gear housing and in which conduit is contained the cable 17 conveying the operating current to the motor 3 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Threaded upon the upper'end of the base 1 is a flanged nut 18 having therein a center opening to receive the rotatable tube 15 and to this nut is aflixed a gear 19 co-operating with a pinion 20 fixed to the end of a stub shaft 21, the upper end of which is pivoted to an extensible universal'shaft comprised of a tubular housing 22 in which is slidably mounted a short shaft 23 which latter is in turn, pivoted'to a stub shaft 24, fixed toa pinion 25, co-operating with a pinion 26, both of which pinions are mounted within a gear box 27. To the latter pinion 26 is afiixed the lower end of a square shaft 28, which is received at its upper end by the hollow shaft 10 having a co formab'ly square opening as shown particularly in Figure 8. As mentioned previously, the worm gear 9 is fixed 100 tothe lower end of the hollow shaft in such a manner as to cooperate with the worm 8 carried by the armature shaft 4 extending through the motor 3 upon which the fan proper 7, is mounted.

In order to disconnect the worm and gear 8 and 9 respectively, to cause the fan to cease rotating upon its base, a swivel cap 29 is provided upon the end of the hollow shaft 10 which when pulled upward, will move the said shaft 10 vertically, thus moving the worm gear 9 out of engagement with the Worm 8. Returning now to Figure 2 showing the arrangement by which the current is supplied to the motor through the base 1, it will be noted that a member 30 is contained within the small portion of the base and has journaled therein a ball bearing assembly 31, the inner wall of which is engaged by the depending tube 15. The tube 15 carries thereon band contacts 32 insulated from the tube b a fiber sleeve 33. Wires 34, entering throug the flexible conduit or cable 17 connect with respective ones of these circular or ringlike contacts 32 in order that a continuous circuit may be maintained to the motor.

Mounted upon the lower end of the member 30 is a sleeve 34, shown in detail in Figure 5 and has afiixed thereto spring contacts 35 of unequal lengths and arranged to function as brushes to maintain contact with the ring contacts 32. Wires 36, 37 and 38 convey the current from the coil to the contact posts of the spring contacts 35. Hence the current, entering through wire 11 passes into switch and coil 12 and 13 respectively, and thence through wires 36, 37 and 38 to the binding posts of the spring contacts 35, thence throu h ring contacts 32 and wires 34 to motor 3, ringing about a continuous supply to operate the same.

- When the switch 39 is operated to bring about the introduction of current into the 'coil 13 and the wires 34 into'the motor 3, the

armature shaft 4 rotates the worm 8 to transmitmotion to the Worm gear 9 on the hollow shaft 10 which is slidably mounted on square shaft 28, rotating the pinion 27 which en.- meshes a similar pinion 25 transmitting motion to the stub shaft 24 and the universal shaft, as described, to rotate the stub shaft 21 and the pinion 2O engaging the stationary gear 19 attached tothe flan ed nut 18, as

the in a shown in Figure 2. It is obvious, b foregoing that the fan may be operate complete cycle.

Obviously, the structure shown is capable of considerable modification and such modifiation as is considered within the scope and meaning of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fan, a tubular base, a perforated nut on the upper end of the base, a perforated gear fixed to the nut, a member above the nut, a tubular conduit fixed to the member and extending downwardly therefrom and through said perforations of the nut and gear, a pinion journaled on said member and meshed with the gear, a motor having a fan carried by the member, a second gear, means to drive said gear from the motor, a second pinion in mesh with the second gear, said member having. a concentric part enclosing the first gear and the first pinion, and means to drive the first pinion from the second pinion including an extensible shaft on the exterior of the member.

2. In a fan, a motor having a fan and a shaft, means to sup ort the motor for rotation, a second shaft of angular cross-section, a tubular shaft of cross-section corresponding to that of the second shaft slidable on the latter, means fixed on the tubular shaft to drive same, means on the motor shaft releasably engaged by said means on porting means.

. JAMES R. FERGUSON.

If it is desired to operate the fan only in a semi-circle or as an oscillator fan, it is necessary only to set into motion the conventional oscillating mechanism, shown in Figures 1 and 2 by the operation of the conventional knurled screw 40, causing the shaft 41 to rotate, revolving the eccentric member 42 to which the arm 43 isattached. 

